Rafa Benitez has his fair share of detractors but there is little doubting that the former Valencia, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea and Inter Milan manager is one of the biggest names in world coaching.

And his appointment at Newcastle United in the spring of 2016 looked set to give the Magpies access to players they would have had no chance of attracting with the likes of Steve McClaren and Alan Pardew on the touchline.

Danny Owen

Daniel is a Journalist graduate from Leeds Trinity University and is generally obsessed with everything football related. Daniel watches everything from Augsburg in the Bundesliga to Vitesse in the Eredivisie with as much La Liga as possible thrown in for good measure.